Utility gateways provide access between a local area network (LAN) or in-home network communication medium and a wide area network (WAN) communication medium by bridging WAN communications onto the LAN or in-home network. LANs and in-home networks operate with communication protocols such as LonWorks.TM. and CEBus.TM.. WANs operate using different communication protocols such as TDMA. A utility gateway enables LAN or in-home network communications sent by a subscriber in LAN or in-home protocol to be converted into a WAN protocol and transmitted over the WAN. Similarly, messages transmitted over the WAN are received, converted into an appropriate LAN or in-home protocol, and transmitted to the subscriber over the LAN or in-house network. Therefore, a utility gateway includes a component for receiving, processing and transmitting WAN-protocol packets, a component for receiving, processing and transmitting LAN or in-home network protocol data, and a bus connecting the WAN component to the LAN/in-home component.
To provide this bridging function, a utility gateway must have access to both the LAN and the WAN. Some currently available gateways are connected to the LAN or in-home network via the power supply and connected to the WAN via a coaxial cable. These currently available utility gateway enclosures are mounted on the side of the residence and must be wired to the in-home power supply line by an electrician. These utility gateway enclosures provide a bridge between a single WAN of a predetermined protocol and a single LAN or in-home network of a predetermined protocol. Thus, in the current utility gateway enclosures, the entire gateway enclosure must be changed if either the WAN or LAN protocol is changed. Moreover, current gateways do not provide simultaneous access to multiple types of LANs and in-home networks. Also, since these enclosures are connected to the power supply of the building, repair and upgrading of the gateway devices requires interruption of the power supply to the building.